GMC publishes survey on GP politeness

GPs will be soon be graded on how polite they are to their patients during consultations in new surveys published by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The questionnaires are designed to generate feedback to enable GPs to understand how their practice is viewed by those they treat and those they work with.

Both patients and colleagues will mark GPs on whether they make their patients feel at ease, how they communicate with patients and relatives and to what extent they involve the patient in the decisions around their treatment.

GPs will be soon be graded on how polite they are to their patients during consultations in new surveys published by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The questionnaires are designed to generate feedback to enable GPs to understand how their practice is viewed by those they treat and those they work with.

Both patients and colleagues will mark GPs on whether they make their patients feel at ease, how they communicate with patients and relatives and to what extent they involve the patient in the decisions around their treatment.

"For the vast majority of doctors, the feedback they receive will be overwhelmingly positive but there will also be things they can learn, and insights they can gain about their practice," said Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the GMC.

"When revalidation comes in, we will be the first nation in the world to require every doctor to obtain feedback from their patients and colleagues in this way.

"The questionnaires we're publishing today are free for employers and doctors to use. They've been extensively tested, and if administered properly, should enable doctors to understand how their practice is viewed by those they treat and those they work with."

GPs can choose against using the questionnaires but the GMC claims they must obtain the same level of feedback through other means to support their revalidation.